Photo identification is to be required for those collecting social welfare payments after over a tenth of claims that were investigated were found to be bogus.
With the numbers claiming welfare growing significantly, the Department of Social and Family Affairs is to bring in stricter identity checks in Post Offices throughout the State for people collecting such payments.
In a statement, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said tighter security checks were necessary as part of the drive against those claiming a jobseeker payment but not resident in the State.
Fraud investigations in eight areas of the State that began in March saw more than 2,200 claimants examined, and of those 275 have had their claims suspended and are no longer entitled to claim a benefit, or are under continuing investigation.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs said that of those claims investigated, most were in the "high risk category" of non-Irish nationals claiming a payment.
"Of the over 2,200 claims targeted for investigation, the vast majority were in the high risk category of non-Irish nationals claiming a payment. These pose a high risk because of their mobility between countries, they may not in fact be resident in this country," a department statement said.
"However, risk of fraud is always a factor for a system as large as social welfare, and ongoing investigations cover both Irish nationals and non-Irish nationals."
The department estimates the potential savings from stopping these false claims to be €2 million to €3 million.
“People legitimately collecting a social welfare payment should be able to produce valid photographic ID, such as a driving licence, passport or national identity card. Staff working in Post Offices have to be satisfied that they are giving the right payment to the right person” said Ms Hanafin.
"Inspectors have found evidence that some claimants are no longer resident in the country or money is being paid to an individual, who is not in fact a valid claimant.”
Notices in post offices will advise customers collecting social welfare payments such as Jobseekers, One Parent Family Payment, Back to Work or Child Benefit payments that they must be able to produce a valid ID.
Social Welfare inspectors have also recently intensified investigations of cross-Border movements in relation to new claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance.
However, it has emerged thousands of planned anti-fraud checks on welfare recipients did not take place last year because inspectors were diverted to process unemployment benefit claims.
In total, Government measures aimed at saving money on welfare fraud last year yielded almost €60 million less than expected. While the Minister had projected savings of about €536 million for 2008, the department ended up saving about €476 million.
The Department makes 230,000 weekly payments through the post office and 98,000 through banks. On monthly payments it makes 250,000 through the post office and 350,000 through banks.
Up to €4 billion could be paid out this year to jobseekers alone.
Additional reporting PA
